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Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

$22.95

Elon Musk is the most daring entrepreneur of our time. There are few industrialists in history who could match Elon Musk's relentless drive and ingenious vision. Musk has dedicated his energies and his own vast fortune to inventing a future that is as rich and far-reaching as a science fiction fantasy. Veteran technology journalist Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius' life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in South Africa and flight to the United States to his dramatic technical innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits. Written with exclusive access to Musk, his family, and his friends, the book traces his journey from his difficult upbringing in South Africa to his ascent to the pinnacle of the global business world. Vance uses Musk's story to explore one of the pressing questions of our age: Can the nation of inventors and creators who led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition?

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Description

Table of Contents

Title

Elon's WorldAfricaCanadaElon's First Start-UpPaypal Mafia BossMice in SpaceAll ElectricPain, Suffering, and SurvivalLiftoffThe Revenge of the Electric CarThe Unified Field Theory of Elon MuskEpilogue

Appendix 1Appendix 2Appendix 3AcknowledgmentsNotes

Page

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About the Author

Ashlee Vance

Ashlee Vance is one of the most prominent writers on technology today. After spending several years reporting on Silicon Valley and technology for the New York Times, Vance went to Bloomberg Businessweek, where he has written dozens of cover and feature stories for the magazine on topics ranging from cyber espionage to DNA sequencing and space exploration.

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Quotes

For anyone interested in technology, entrepreneurship or the price of greatness, Ashlee Vance’s new book, “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future,” is a tremendous look into arguably the world’s most important entrepreneur. Vance paints an unforgettable picture of Musk’s unique personality, insatiable drive and ability to thrive through hardship. The book bursts with telling anecdotes and quotes that illuminate who Musk is. Here are some examples...

“I do think of him as the Terminator. He locks his gaze on to something and says, ‘It shall be mine.’ Bit by bit, he won me over.” — Justine Musk, Elon Musk’s ex-wife

“We’re all hanging out in this cabana at the Hard Rock Cafe, and Elon is there reading some obscure Soviet rocket manual that was all moldy and looked like it had been bought on eBay.” — Kevin Hartz, an early PayPal investor, describing an outing in Las Vegas that was intended as a time to celebrate the company’s success.

“He’s kind of homeless, which I think is sort of funny. He’ll e-mail and say, ‘I don’t know where to stay tonight. Can I come over?’ I haven’t given him a key or anything yet.” — Google chief executive Larry Page on Elon Musk, who owns a home in Los Angeles but doesn’t have a place in Silicon Valley, which he visits weekly for his work at Tesla.

“I believe the second sentence out of his mouth was, ‘I think a lot about electric cars.’ And then he turned to me and said, ‘Do you think about electric cars?’ ” — Christie Nicholson, the daughter of an adviser to Elon Musk, recalling first meeting Musk at a party. As a college student he was already hooked on electric cars.

“That’s my lesson for taking a vacation: vacation will kill you.” — Elon Musk, who nearly died in 2000 from a malaria infection following a trip to Brazil and South Africa.

“He goes into his brain, and then you just see he is in another world. He still does that. Now I just leave him be because I know he is designing a new rocket or something.” — Elon Musk’s mother describing how as a child Elon sometimes seemed to drift off into trances.

“Everybody around here has slides in their lobbies. I’m actually wondering about putting in a roller coaster — like a functional roller coaster at the factory in Fremont. You’d get in, and it would take you around [the] factory but also up and down. Who else has a roller coaster? … It would probably be really expensive, but I like the idea of it.” — Elon Musk

“We all worked 20 hours a day, and he worked 23 hours.” — Julie Ankenbrandt on working with Musk at the start-up X.com, which would later merge with Confinity and lead to what we know as PayPal.

Source: Washington Post

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Videos

Author Ashlee Vance interview

Source: Cisco

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Reviews

Below are reviews of the book from various sources...

"The result is a book that is smart, light on its feet and possesses a crunchy thoroughness. . . . Mr. Vance delivers a well-calibrated portrait of Mr. Musk, so that we comprehend both his friends and his enemies. It's a book with many ancillary pleasures. Mr. Vance brings us up to date on the states of green energy and space launches. He also veers away from his subject just often enough, offering profiles of the frequently brilliant people who work alongside Mr. Musk The best thing Mr. Vance does in this book, though, is tell Mr. Musk's story simply and well."- The New York Times

"Really good biographies stand out in two ways. First, they provide lots of zesty stories that haven't been told before. Beyond that, they explain all the zigzags and false clues of a prominent person's life, in a way that makes the total picture come into focus. . . it's clear that this new Musk bio delivers the goods in both respects. . . Ashlee Vance provides a wealth of insights about how this tech titan operates." – Forbes

"Vance's book is a masterful piece of reporting." - Vice

“[T]his work will likely serve as the definitive account of a man whom so far we’ve seen mostly through caricature. By the final pages, too, any reader will sense the need to put comparisons to Steve Jobs aside. Give Musk credit. There is no one like him.” - New York Times Book Review

“[A] spirited and riveting biography.” - Wall Street Journal

"It is the book I have enjoyed most this year." - Tyler Cowen, famed economist and best-selling author

"Ashlee Vance's portrait of the entrepreneur at mid-life is an essential read . . . a riveting portrait of Silicon Valley's most driven entrepreneur since Steve Jobs." - The Financial Times

"The best business book I have read in years." - Don Graham, former publisher of The Washington Post

"Elon Musk is a man after my own heart; a risk taker undaunted by setbacks and ever driven to ensure a bright future for humanity. Ashlee Vance's stellar biography captures Musk's remarkable life story and irrepressible spirit." - Richard Brandon, founder of Virgin Group

"More than any entrepreneur since Steve Jobs, Elon Musk sets the bar for what's possible in technology. We are fortunate to have our very own real-life Tony Stark in Elon, and here, for the first time, we have his story vividly told." - Marc Andreessen, venture capitalist and web pioneer

"Ashlee Vance offers a clear-eyed look at a man who has played the underdog again and again---challenging old thinking and changing the world. I dare anyone to read this book and not be inspired to set their sights a little higher." - Tony Fadell, creator of the iPod and iPhone, and CEO of Nest Labs

"Elon Musk is one of the greatest entrepreneurial minds of our time. His combination of extreme intelligence, relentless drive, and steadfast belief in his bold ideas is ensuring that all of society has the chance to benefit from his efforts. The book Elon Musk is a compelling firsthand, behind-the-scenes look at how Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity were formed, and how Elon works to bring his passions to fruition. He is a unique character changing the world, and Ashlee Vance's book is a riveting account of how Elon's game-changing ideas have been conceived and born, and now flourish." - J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., first human genome sequencer and creator of synthetic life

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FAQ

How long does shipping take when ordering Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future?

We'll ship all orders on a first come, first served basis. Shipping (to U.S. destinations) will take between 1-3 weeks via USPS. Note: shipping is available for international customers via USPS, but, please allow ample extra time for international delivery as USPS can be quite slow when delivering abroad, please be sure to refer to our "Shipping and Fulfillment" page for more details and read following 'FAQ' question.

Are you fulfilling international orders for Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future?

Yes. We'll be shipping international orders via USPS - all international orders will have a shipping cost of: $24.95. Shipping to most international destinations will typically take between 4-8 weeks. Note: please allow an additional time buffer for USPS to deliver internationally as it does not have the more rapid timeframes for delivery as "overnight" providers (i.e. FedEx, UPS, or DHL). We'll be fulfilling our international orders on a first come, first served basis.

Is there an option to order this as an E-book?

No, we are only offering hard copies of this book as we believe this is a keepsake item and should be proudly displayed in the library of every Tesla Model S owner. In addition, the 392 page hard copy book also includes a 16-page four color insert (in the middle of the book) packed with amazing photos from Elon's childhood to present. We also ship our books to you with a copy of our EVANNEX catalog and a few other goodies.

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